Packing machinery



April 22, 1930. w. E. MOLINS 1,755,659

PACKING MACHINERY Filed Sept. 8, 1927 2 She'ets-Shee t 1 inventor Wzza 741/4,

April 22, 1930. w. E. MOLINS Q PACKING MACHINERY Filed Sept 8, 1927 2 Sheens-$119.91v 2 lmzentow Y 30 ferred to,

Patented Apr. 22, 1930 UNITED ST TE PACKING MACHINERY Application filed septem da zaw, Serial No. 21s,s4c,'ana in Great Britain September 8,1926.

IThis-invention is for improvements in or relating to packing machinery and'more particularly we cigarettepacking machine of the type wherein a predetermined number of cigarettes are moved, in a batch by a continuously moving endless conveyor towards a second continuously movlng endless conveyor movable in a direction transverse to said first conveyor, and has for its object the provision 10 of means whereby cigarettes carried by said first conveyor are transported to thesecond conveyor in a simple and efficient manner. The present invention'co'nsists of a cigarette characterized by each batch of cigarettes being moved from 'a stationary position at the end of the path of the first conveyor and into the path of thesecond conveyor by the action of the oncoming batch or batches'of cigarettes carried by the first conveyor.

Further, the present invention consists of a cigarette packing machine as set forth in the preceding paragraphwherein eachbatch of cigarettes, moved from the first conveyor, 2 is automatically deposited upon a slide, of a slide and shell packet, fed simultaneously into the path of the second conveyor.

Again, the present invention consists of a cigarette packing machine of the type reand as setforth in either of, the two vpreceding paragraphs, I wherein g each batch of cigarettes are wrapped in a U shaped block ended container open at one end as it is being moved by said first conveyor whereupon two side tucks and an upper broad end flap at the open end of the container are folded prior to the cigarettes being moved into the path ofthe second conveyor. y I: 1

Further, .the present invention consists of a cigarette packing machine of the type referred to, and asset forth in the preceding paragraph, .wherein :the wrapped batch of cigarettes is. deposited upon 'the slide. of :a

" slide and shell packet and the lower broad end flap of the container is folded upwardly together with one end flap of theslideas the same is being movedby the second conveyor. The invention is more particularly 1 depacking machine of the type referred scribed with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: I I

Fig.1 isa plan view of a section-of a pack ing machine embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a section'on the line'A'B of Fig. 1.,

Fig. 3 is a detailed view of the means em ployed to operate the vertical tucker illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 in direction of arrow C, and

Fig. 4 is-a fragmentary side elevational view of the mechanism for retaining the slide in position to receive the cigarette batch,

' Referring to the drawings, thereis illustratedone method of carrying the invention into effect, wherein a batch of cigarettes is packed by means of the machine described in British Patent N 0. 169,341. An endless conveyor 1 in the machine describedin the said patent is adapted to convey a batchof cigarettes from a cigarette hopper towards a second conveyo'r2 movable in a path at right angles to the first conveyor and is arranged to feed each batch of cigarettes into a stationary position adjacent to thesaid second conveyor. i The cigarettes as they are moved from the cigarette hopper towards the second conveyor are preferably moved into contact with a web of foil, a portion of which is 'severed from the web as the cigarettes meet it. The cigarettes and the foil are moved 7 through folding mechanism which'folds the foil wrapper about the cigarettes into a 'U shaped block ended container 3 open at one end. The foil feeding and cutting mechanism is preferably constructed according to British Patent N 0. 165,891, although it will be appreciated that any suitable feeding, and cutting mechanism may be employed. 1

The cigarettes, after they have been wrapped in the tin foil, are moved into engagement with a pair of rotary sidetuckers 4 preferably; constructed according to British Patent No. 214,792, which first carry the wrapped cigarettes away from the pusher piece 5 of the conveyor 1 and form two side tucks at the open end of the container, whereupon the wrapped batch of cigarettes is again engaged by the continuously moving pusher wrapped batch has piece and moved into a stationary position between the upper and lower guide plates 6 and 7 adjacent to the path of the second conveyor. When the wrapped batch of cigarettes is in the said position, a vertical tucker 8 is moved downwardly by means of a cam 9 driven fromthe-main drive of theoniachine. The can-19' is adapted to engagewitli a-roller 11 mounted upon a lever 10 which is secured to a spindle 12 which carries the vertical tucker 8. T he vertical tucker 8- isadaptedto fold the upper broad end flap of the con-;

tainer downwardly and the pusher piece 5 of the endless conveyor 1 is adapted to depress the lower'broad end of the container beneath the level of the lower guide member Tas tlie pusher piece 5 moves below the bed ofthe machine. The wrapped batch of cigarettes is maintained in the said station-ar'y position until the next succeeding batch of cigarettes engages with the folded end of the preceding batch and moves the same into the path of the second conveyor 2. V

Itmay be. here stated that after the partly been taken from the pusher 5 of the conveyor by the tucking wheels i and; the sidetucks are made, the conveyor catches up with the batch again and only leaves it when it has deposited it in its final stationary position, and the pusher piece disappears through the slot in the bed. The upper broad flap of the foilis then pushed down by the tucker 8 and the lower flap is bent downwardly by the pusher piece as it disappears through the bed. The object of this operation is to bend the flap downwardly sothat the next succeeding packet will pass over the same, otherwise if the flap merely projected from the end of the packet straight along the bed, it is likely that the succeeding packet would jcrumple it up. When the stationary packet is finally thrust on to the slide the lower flap which has been bent down will naturally become horizontal once more so that it can be bent upwardly with the flap of the slide as theyvpass from the folding mechanism hereinafter described.

.Prior to the wrapped batch of cigarettes being-moved by the next succeeding batch of cigarettesinto the path of the second couveyor a slide 9 ismoved by rollers 14 and 15 into the path ofthesaid second conveyor and the sides-of the slide are folded upwardready to receive the batch of cigarettes hereinbefore referred to..

Thefolded-slide is with themovable guide 17 which is arranged tohold the sides o fjthe slide in position as the batch ofcigarettes is moved into position thereon.

'When the batch of cigarettes is moved into position upon the slide 9* the second conveyor 2 operates a cam 18 to lift the guide 17 a pusher piece 19 thereafter moves the slide and the batch 'ofcigarettes deposited .the batches of cigarettes are moved into engagement means,

thereon through folding mechanism, which folds the end flaps of the slide upwardly and in so doing fold the lower broad end flap of the foil container against the end of the same. The loaded slide is thereafter moved into engagement with an opened shell, the mouth of which is disposed; transversely to the path of the slide and the shell is moved over the slide in the manner described in British Patent No. 169,341. The shell may be opened by" the mechan-isra described in BritishPatent No. 266,834 and the foil which embraces the cigarettes may be embossed in any desired 'mannenfor example, by the device described in BritishPatent No. 269,981. With the arrangement hereinb'efore described fed into the path of the second conveyor without subjecting-to the foil the pressure of ejector rollers which are liable to destroy the effectiveness of the embossing applied to the foil.

Thus it will be seen that according to the present invention,each batch of cigarettes is moved into a stationary position adjacent to the second conveyor, whereupon each batch is moved by the succeedingvbatch of cigarettesinto the path of the second; conveyor, thus obviating special mechanism to perform this operation. 7

It will be appreciated that the wrapping and conveying mechanism disclosed in this application may be applied to the handling of a single article and is not restricted to use in the packaging ofcigarettes. The term article as used in the claims is therefore to be understood as defining either a single element or a group of elements which are to be placed in a single wrapper; v

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l 1. In apparatus of the class described, means for conveying one article of a series into a predetermined position, a second conveying means having a path of movement ad- .jacent to and in advanceof said position,

means for moving a slide of a slide and shell carton into the path of movement of said second conveying means, means for moving the succeeding article of the series to engage and move the first articleto position on the slide, and movable means for momentarily retaining the slide in position to receive the article. 7 y

2. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with means" for moving one of a series of articles into a predetermined position, of a conveyor located adjacent'said article and moving in a direction an'gularly related to the direction of movement of said means for moving a slide of a slide and shell carton into the path of movement of said conveyor, means for moving the succeedi'ng article of'the seriesl to engage and move the first article to position on theslide. and movable means for momentarily retain ing the slide in position to receive the article. v

3. In a cigarette packing machine having mechanism for. wrapping cigarettes, and having means for moving a batch of cigarettes through said wrapping mechanism to form a U shaped block ended package, open at one through said wrapping mechanismto form named means from engagement with the slide, and means for thereafter conveying said slide and article away.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

- WALTER EVERETT MOLINS.

a U shaped block ended package, open at one end, and to thereafter convey said partially Wrapped batch into a predetermined position, the combination with means for forming one broad end flap in' said package while the latter occupies the said predetermined 7 position, of a conveyor having a path of movement in advance of said predetermined position and lying in a direction angularly related to the direction of movement of said means, and means for moving a succeeding batch of cigarettes through said mechanism and into said predetermined position, whereby said first batch of cigarettes is engaged by said second batch and moved into the said path of movement'of said'conveyor. V

5 In a cigarette packing machine having mechanism for wrapping cigarettes, and having means for moving a batch of'cigarettes through said wrapping mechanism to form a U shaped block ended package, open at one end, and to thereafter convey said partially wrapped batch'into apredetermined position, the combination with means for forming ,one'broad end flap in said package while the latter occupies the said predetermined position,.of aconveyor having a path of movement in advance of said predetermined position, means for moving a slide of a slide and shell carton into the path of r movement of-said article, and means for moving a succeeding batch of cigarettes through said mechanism and into said predetermined position, whereby said first batch of cigarettes is engaged by said second batch and i moved upon said slide. t

6, In apparatus of the classdescribed, the combinationwith means for folding two side walls of a slide of a slide and shell carton to form a U-shaped receptacle, of means for engaging said folded side walls ofthe slide to retain the same in position, means for mov-, ing an article onto the slide through an open end thereof, means for releasing said first 

